This Potato Soup Instant Pot recipe is a creamy, hearty soup that is perfect for cold weather!
Made with all the ingredients of a loaded potato like bacon, cheese, and onion. And ready in just minutes using an Instant Pot!
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Making loaded potato soup in an Instant Pot is not only easy, but it’s also a delicious and comforting meal that’s perfect for chilly days.
I am a huge lover of potatoes, and a creamy potato soup recipe is one of my favorite things to make when it is cold outside or as comfort food.
Instant Pot recipes are a great way to have dinner ready fast with lots of flavor. Any electric pressure cooker will work!
Made with bacon, but you can easily skip the bacon to make it vegetarian if desired. It will be your new favorite Instant Pot soup recipe!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this loaded potato soup. Find full quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
Russet Potatoes
Milk – whole milk is best for flavor and consistency. Using something like skim milk is going to give you a feeling of the soup being watery and less of a creamy texture.
Vegetable Broth (or chicken broth)
Cheddar Cheese
Onion
Bacon
Cornstarch (or flour)
Garlic
Fresh or Dried Thyme
Your Favorite Toppings – sour cream, green onions, more bacon, diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, and crusty bread are all great options
I make this Instant Pot Potato Soup without heavy cream by using whole milk which is thicker and richer. You could use a thinner milk like 2% but will lose some of the richness and it might be a little thinner in consistency.
What is the Thickener in Potato Soup?
In this recipe, the cornstarch is a thickener. You could also substitute with flour (see recipe for quantity).
The potato is also a natural thickener because of the starch.
And the cheese is almost a thickener as well since it melts into the soup.
The soup will seem runny until the very end, when the final steps turn it into a creamy potato soup, so don’t worry until you are ready to serve.
At this point, if you still think it is runny, you can mash more potatoes or add a little more cornstarch/flour (just mix it in a small bowl with a little water or the soup first before adding to make sure it incorporates well). Then stir and let it sit on a low temperature for a couple minutes to thicken and do its thing.
What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Soup?
I stick with a classic russet, but I do not cut them too small. Since they are a starchy potato and not a waxy potato, they will break down much more easily in the cooking process.
So to keep the potato chunks, make sure the potatoes are cut up into larger pieces as explained in the instructions.
Waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes or Yukon golds potatoes, are also great. They are both considered waxy instead of starchy which means they will break down less when cooking and hold their shape.
Do you Peel Potatoes for Soup?
I love potato skin in general, but I do peel potatoes for this soup to give it a silkier texture.
You can absolutely leave the potato skins on if desired.
Instruction Overview
Find full instructions and details in the recipe card below.
How do you make Instant Pot baked potato soup? First cook your chopped bacon in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until it is crisp. Remove the bacon, set aside on a paper towel, and keep the bacon fat in the pot.
Then add the onions to the bacon fat and cook until translucent.
Add the thyme, garlic, and cornstarch and cook until just fragrant.
Cancel the sauté function and add the potatoes and stock to the pot. Set your pot for manual high pressure at 8 minutes and put the lid on, with the seal closed to keep the pressure in.
After cooking, quick release (manual release) by opening the valve. When the pressure has gone down, open the pot and turn it off, but you can keep the pot in the device. (No natural release, which is letting the pressure disappear slowly on its own).
At this point you will have tender potatoes in a thin sauce.
Add the cheese, milk, and bacon. Season to taste and serve with toppings like sour cream, green onions, or some crispy bacon.
If you want to keep the bacon extra crispy, do not mix it in! And instead serve it along with the soup so that it does not get softer while hanging out in the pot.
If desired, you can make the soup thicker by using a potato masher or an immersion blender to blend up some of the potatoes.
You can also make it thicker after cooking by making a cornstarch slurry where you combine a Tablespoon more of cornstarch with some of the liquid. Add it back to the pot, stir, and cook on the sauté setting function briefly to thicken.
If you happen to have any leftovers of this delicious soup, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How Long Does it Take to Pressure Cook Potato Soup?
From start to end, it will take about 20 minutes of cooking time which includes the pot coming up to pressure.
Please note that each pot can vary in how long it takes to come to pressure before the cooking timer starts.
Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe Video
Watch our YouTube video where I make this soup live and show you how to do it!
How Do You Thicken Potato Soup?
We are using a few elements that help thicken the potato soup: cornstarch, cheese, and the potatoes themselves!
If you need it to be thicker, you can do a few things:
- Mash more potatoes to release their starches and thicken
- Cook it on a simmer for some of the liquid to evaporate
- Add more cheese which thickens the soup but will also change the flavor
- Mix a little cornstarch with some of the soup in a bowl until combined, add back into the pot, and let simmer a few minutes to thicken
Can I Use Mashed Potatoes to Thicken Soup?
Yes! But add just a little at a time so you do not end up with a runny mashed potato!
What Can I Add to my Potato Soup for Flavor?
if you feel like your soup is lacking flavor, there are a few things you can add. I would not recommend adding anything additional until the soup is completely done as the flavors will continue to develop and change, especially the salt factor.
- Salt and Black Pepper – the seasoning OGs
- Parsley – for more of a fresh, herb flavor
- More Thyme
- More Cheese (I like to use a sharp cheese in the first place for maximum flavor)
- A little cayenne or hot sauce if you want just a little bit of a kick
FAQs
Should You Cook Potatoes Before Adding to Soup?
No need to here! They cook within the soup itself and release starches which work to help thicken the soup.
How Long Do I Cook Potato Soup in an Instant Pot?
I found that the sweet spot was 8 minutes on manual for cooked potatoes that were not too soft!
What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Soup?
Russet potatoes are classic for potato soup. If you want to keep the potatoes very intact with minimal breaking down, you can use a waxy potato instead such as Yukon Gold.
What is the Thickener in Potato Soup?
Depending on the recipe, you can use either cornstarch, flour, or even the potatoes themselves as the thickener.
Do you Peel Potatoes for Soup?
This is a matter of preference. Traditionally, the potatoes are peeled but you can leave the peels on which will give the soup a little more texture.
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Potato Soup Instant Pot Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon chopped
- 1 cup diced onion (approximately 1/2-3/4 medium onion)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch (or 3 Tablespoons flour)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes (see note 1)
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (32 ounces)
- 2 cups whole milk (see note 2)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream for serving, if desired
- green onions or chives, for serving, if desired
- chopped bacon cooked, for topping, if desired (can be cooked in step 1 and kept aside for serving)
Instructions
- Chop the bacon and cook in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onions to the bacon fat and cook on the sauté function until translucent but not browning, approximately 4 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch, thyme, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add your stock and potatoes to the pot. Put the lid on. Cancel the cooking on the Instant Pot and then set the pot to manual cooking, set for 8 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is closed.
- Once the pressure cooking has completed, use the manual release by turning the valve in the back to release the steam and pressure. When the pressure is gone and the lid clicks, remove the lid.
- Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes (as much or little as desired – I like it chunky so I mash about 1/3).
- Add the milk and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add the bacon now too if desired, or keep it all for serving if you want it to stay crispy.Season to taste with cheese, salt, and pepper.See notes below regarding soup consistency and adjust as desired if necessary. I do not adjust consistency until after cheese is added as the cheese will help thicken.After the consistency is set, season to taste again with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with additional toppings as desired such as cheese, sour cream, green onions/chives, and crispy bacon.
Video
Notes
- You can also use red or Yukon gold potatoes. however the are waxy and will hold their shape more than a russet.Â
- Whole milk is recommended because it is creamier and richer than a lighter milk. Lighter milks like 2% can be used however your soup will likely be thinner and might taste a little less creamy.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, more similar to a stew, reduce chicken stock to 2 cups.
- The exact thickness or consistency will vary based on (1) how many potatoes are mashed, (2) type of milk used and (3) the cheese you use.Â
- When you get to the end, if too thick, add a little more water, stock, or milk (1/2 cup at a time). If too thin, mash more potatoes, add more cheese, or make a slurry by whisking .5-1 Tablespoons cornstarch (1-2 Tablespoons of flour) with a little of the soup liquid in a small bowl, add back to the pot, stir, and simmer until it thickens.
- Once you achieve the consistency you want, season to taste.
This recipe was so easy to make and turned out perfectly in the instant pot!! It was such a great winter dinner – my whole family loved it!
One of my all-time favorite soups! It cooks up so nice and fast in the instant pot. Just what I need to warm up on these cold nights!
Thanks for such a lovely soup recipe. Perfect Bowl for Dinner. RIch and creamy and cheesy too. I love every combination of it.
Wow – this is a whole meal in a bowl! Great that it’s made in the instant pot.
The perfect instant pot soup for a cold winter’s day!
I love how easy this recipe is. Potato soup is one of my favourites and I’m only going to make it in the Instant Pot now!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing potato soup recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Ah, yum! I love a good potato soup recipe! This soup looks delicious and hearty! Excited to give it a try!
Can I add the sour cream about a cup when adding the milk
Hi Denise,
Yes, you can. As long as it is after pressure cooking, it would work just fine! Before cooking it might curdle. Let me know how it turns out!
This is SOOOO GOOD!!! It was even better the next day!